Hylebates chlorochloe

HABIT Annual. Culms prostrate; 90–120 cm long; rooting from lower nodes. Ligule a fringe of hairs. Leaf-blade base simple, or broadly rounded. Leaf-blades linear, or lanceolate; 5–30 cm long; 5–40 mm wide; flaccid.

INFLORESCENCE Inflorescence a panicle.

Panicle open; ovate; 10–30 cm long; evenly furnished, or contracted about primary branches.

Spikelets solitary. Fertile spikelets pedicelled. Pedicels linear.

FERTILE SPIKELETS Spikelets comprising 1 basal sterile florets; 1 fertile florets; without rhachilla extension. Spikelets elliptic; dorsally compressed; 2–3 mm long; falling entire.

GLUMES Glumes dissimilar; shorter than spikelet; thinner than fertile lemma. Lower glume ovate; 0.5–0.7 mm long; 0.2–0.3 length of spikelet; membranous; without keels; 0 -veined. Lower glume lateral veins absent. Lower glume apex acute. Upper glume elliptic; 0.8–1 length of adjacent fertile lemma; membranous; without keels; 3 -veined. Upper glume surface glabrous, or pilose (sparsely). Upper glume apex acute.

FLORETS Basal sterile florets barren; without significant palea. Lemma of lower sterile floret elliptic; 1 length of spikelet; membranous; 5 -veined; glabrous, or pilose (sparsely); acute; awned. Awn of lower sterile floret 0.3–1 mm long. Fertile lemma elliptic; chartaceous. Lemma margins flat; covering most of palea. Lemma apex acute. Palea chartaceous; without keels.

FRUIT Caryopsis with adherent pericarp; orbicular; isodiametric.

DISTRIBUTION Africa: east tropical.

NOTES Paniceae. FTEA.

Please cite this publication as detailed in How to Cite Version: 3rd February 2016.